Mikel Arteta Arsenal
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Arsenal’s recent match against Nottingham Forest concluded in a goalless draw, but it was a handball incident involving Forest’s Ola Aina that stole the headlines. Late in the game, Aina was involved in a controversial moment inside the Forest penalty area. The right-back appeared to use his arm to prevent the ball from going out for a corner, prompting protests from Arsenal players. However, referee Michael Oliver did not award a penalty, and VAR Darren England upheld this decision after reviewing the incident.
Mikel Arteta said: “We came here to win the game and we haven’t managed to do that for different reasons. It’s a credit to them because they are really well organised and they are really good at breaking momentum when you have certain dominance in the game. But the players had four massive challenges as well, with Martinelli on open goal, Declan Rice attacking, Mikel and the header of Bukayo. And on top of that, obviously, a very clear penalty in the box that has not been given. So, without conceding a single shot on target, again, the fact that we haven’t won the game is disappointing. And on top of that, I think we can do things better in certain attacking areas.”
Arteta also disputed the explanation why the penalty wasn’t given, claiming the intention of the arm action wasn’t right. “The explanation is not right,” he explained. “The rest, the order [of what it hits] is ok, the timing and the intention of the player is very clear. If not, I wouldn’t be sitting here saying in my opinion, it’s a very clear penalty.”
Forest manager Sean Dyche told TNT Sports: “I think if these start to get given we’ve all got to leave it. I think that’s ridiculous. We’ve got to be careful with those. You may as well cancel football if you’re going to give that [as handball]. The rules have to be careful. You know what they should be looking at? People feigning injury. That’s the new diving.”
The incident has sparked debate over the interpretation of handball rules in football. VAR concluded that the ball was “played off Aina’s shoulder first” and that his arm was in a “natural position.” Despite this, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision, arguing that the intention behind Aina’s arm movement was questionable.
On the other hand, Forest manager Sean Dyche voiced his concerns about the potential implications of awarding penalties for such incidents, suggesting that it could lead to the cancellation of football as we know it. His comments highlighted the ongoing debate about the consistency and fairness of VAR decisions in the Premier League.
As the dust settles, the match serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in officiating and the challenges faced by VAR in maintaining the integrity of the game.
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